Donald Trump said that Sarah Palin would "love" for him to run for president in the next election cycle during a phone interview on "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday morning.
The indication from Trump comes one day after he met with the former Alaska governor when she stopped in New York City on her bus tour of the eastern United States. After much teasing that he could launch a campaign for the White House in 2012, the billionaire signaled last month that he would opt against entering the GOP primary mix.
The AP relays background on the meeting between the two big name Republicans:
Sarah Palin and Donald Trump exchanged words of admiration Tuesday after a brief meeting at the real estate magnate's penthouse in a Manhattan skyscraper bearing his name.
Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee, said she and Trump shared similar ideas for improving the U.S. economy, while Trump called Palin a "terrific woman and a terrific friend" who he hoped would seek the GOP presidential nomination.
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After the meeting, Trump and his wife, Melania, rode in a stretch limousine with Palin, her parents and youngest daughter, Piper, to have dinner at a pizza restaurant in Times Square. The Palins planned to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty Wednesday morning.
"Well, we do like each other and I will tell you more than anything else she loves this country," said Trump of Palin. "She's got a great passion for the country. I can say behind her back that there's no winking, there's no laughing, there's no smiling, she really loves the country. And, that comes through to me I think more than anything else. She really is passionate about what's going on and what's going wrong. And she picked up on my theme of China and a lot of people don't pick up on it. China's just absolutely ripping us. First thing she said to me was that nobody made that point better than you."
During a separate appearance on "Fox & Friends" last month, Trump wouldn't rule out jumping back into the presidential mix ahead of 2012. "I can't rule out anything," he said.
Via GOP12 comes a video clip of Trump's remarks:
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